


A Different Kind of Life

by MiraclesAndMonsters



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hunk and Lance are my favs I just write them better, I'm getting better at writing Keith tho so stick around, Multi, Out of character Keith unfortunately because I can't write him well, Recreational Drug Use, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Trans Character, Underage Drinking, Writing is hard guys cut me some slack, lots of relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-19 11:00:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14235840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiraclesAndMonsters/pseuds/MiraclesAndMonsters
Summary: Keith is new in town and is a freshman in university. Join him as he navigates his new college life - making friends, adjusting to dorm life, and studying for finals among some of the other trials and tribulations of student life.





	1. Lance

**Author's Note:**

> I'm terrible at formatting on here, but if you can handle how ugly it looks...it's a decent enough chapter in my opinion!

Keith shifted uncomfortably in the stiff auditorium seat. He was three rows from the very back, the theater seats ahead of him entirely filled with people his age, the air loud with their chatter and laughter. Everyone seemed to have already made a friend or two, probably roommates or people who lived nearby, attending this university with people they went to highschool with. He sighed as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat. There were two empty rows ahead of him before the sea of people began, and he liked his isolated seat because he could avoid any forced socialization. He wasn't very good with small talk. 

Several minutes of daydreaming were interrupted by a hush that settled over the room, followed by the loud click of heels on hardwood. A woman with long, curling hair crossed the stage at the front of the auditorium. She took her place behind a podium and tapped the mic, to the dismay of the students, causing a loud feedback crackle to resonate throughout the the room. As she began to speak, Keith found himself bored and glancing around the auditorium. He sighed and tapped the armrest of his seat, shifting positions several times. He eventually pulled a notebook from his cinch pack and started doodling and writing, trying to pass the time as the woman's words droned on and on. At one point, she took a seat and a short, bald man began speaking in her place. This only served to make Keith even more disinterested. 

A few moments into the bald man's speech, the auditorium door clicked open and a slice of light from the outside cut through and shined right across Keith, causing him to shrink away from it. Then someone slid in, their shadow interrupting the light. They turned back to make sure the door shut as silently as possible before stealthily sidling over and plopping down beside Keith. He recoiled from the sudden nearness of this new person, and glared at them for invading his peaceful indifference. The person now sitting beside him was a young man with glasses. Other details were difficult to make out in the dim auditorium lighting, aside from his disheveled hair and the backpack he was settling in the seat beside him. Keith frowned pointedly, receding into his seat and crossing his arms, facing the speaker. 

"What'd I miss?" The young man leaned in close and whispered, which made Keith jerk his head away and sideglance at the stranger. He looked offended that Keith had reacted the way he did. He mimicked Keith's body language then, frowning and crossing his arms as well. 

"Jeez, sorry, I didn't realize it was so insulting to ask about what I missed at my first university orientation. My bad." The boy hissed sarcastically, turning away from Keith and focusing on the lecture - now given by a tall woman with short, blonde hair. Keith resumed his normal, but now more withdrawn, position upright beside his new company. 

"I honestly haven't been paying attention, so I couldn't tell you anyway." Keith leaned only a few centimeters over the armrest and answered after several moments of silence. The boy looked at him with surprise, and then a brilliant smile settled over his face. 

"Oh, yeah? It is pretty boring, huh?" He responded. Keith nodded in reply. "So what were you doing to pass the time instead?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

"I was just doodling," Keith motioned to his notebook, "and trying to figure out why this pointless prattle is mandatory." Keith sighed, slumping back against the plastic seat. The young man chuckled. 

"That's fair. I'm Lance, by the way." The young man said looking expectantly at Keith. Keith hesitated for a moment, panic flashing through his eyes for half a second. 

"Oh, I'm Ky- Keith! My name is Keith." Keith smiled weakly. Lance returned the smile with his own overpowering grin, which made Keith smile a little more comfortably. The two sat by in idle whispering and intermittent focus on the orientation for the rest of the hour long requirement. They were the first to stand up and exit the auditorium. 

The early afternoon sunlight was disorienting for Keith, and he squinted hard against it. He followed Lance's steady pace as they walked side-by-side. Somewhere along the line, Keith had agreed to get lunch with his new acquaintance. The air was crisp but still warmer than the fall atmosphere that Keith had hoped for - walking in the sunlight like this was making his sweater nearly unbearable. He was thoroughly breathless by the time they finally stepped inside the air-conditioned cafeteria. Lance swiped himself in effortlessly, but Keith was less prepared. He slung his cinch pack off one shoulder and brought in front of him, reaching into it and digging for his wallet. He pulled out his student ID and swiped himself in after Lance, who was snickering at the flustered display. 

"Can I see the buttons on your backpack?" Lance asked as they fell in side-by-side once more, wandering to one of the lines. Keith bent down to grab a tray and a plate before responding to Lance. 

"Sure. They're pretty old though. Like, I'm pretty sure I'm not even into most of the stuff anymore. I haven't looked at them in so long." He said as he slid the bag off his shoulders and held it up to Lance. Lance took it in one hand as he got himself a plate and a tray. He was closely inspecting the numerous flare adorning the black and red backpack while Keith pulled up to the self-serve salad bar and began building himself a vibrant salad. Lance was scooping up some of the fresh lasagna onto his plate, still distracted by the bag in his hand. Keith then spooned himself out some soup from the other side of the salad bar, a lentil soup with an abundance of carrots, potatoes, and peas. He turned back to Lance and watched as he added macaroni and cheese, raw broccoli, and some carrot sticks to his strange cornucopia. Lance pulled away from the line and the pair sat in a booth at Keith's request. 

"You're only having soup and salad?" Lance eyed Keith's tray warily as he shoveled a healthy forkful of lasagna into his mouth. Keith nodded as he picked at the individual pieces of the salad, getting a mix of color on the fork before deciding to take the bite. 

"This isn't like, a weight thing, is it? You don't need to watch your weight. You're a pretty small dude already." Lance explained as he took another bite of his lasagna. Keith was surprised that Lance could talk with his mouth full, without any shame or embarrassment. It was bewildering and frankly a little gross, but he was willing to put up with it. 

"It's not a weight thing. It's just what I like to eat," Keith shrugged, pushing the salad around on his plate. He could never let anyone see him eat the way Lance was eating now - he thought it was very strange. Did most people eat the way Lance was eating? He continued, "I just want to take good care of my body. It's the only one I've got." 

"I see," Lance nodded knowingly, swallowing another bite of food, "I agree with you. It's important to take care of your body. Do you play any sports? Fitness is another aspect of that, you know? I play soccer. It's a family favorite in my household, plus it's just really fun!" 

"Oh, I mean, I don't anymore. I played softball in high school, but that was it." Keith admitted, shrugging and taking another small bite of his salad. 

"Softball?" Lance asked, cocking an eyebrow. Keith inhaled sharply, almost choking on his salad. He sputtered and coughed, and Lance lunged from his seat to grab the young man a glass of water. When he returned, he handed a teary-eyed Keith the glass of water. 

"You alright, buddy? Nearly died. I didn't think a salad could kill someone." Lance chuckled, taking his seat across from Keith once more. Keith nodded as he sipped the water. 

"Sorry about that. Anyway, I meant baseball. I played baseball. My...sister played softball. I get tongue-tied sometimes." Keith shrugged, slumping back against the booth. Lance's face seemed to light up as he beamed at Keith. 

"You have a sister? I have six sisters. I love them so much! What's your sister like?" Lance leaned forward enthusiastically, looking wide-eyed and expectantly at him. Keith swallowed hard. 

"Oh, uh. She looks a lot like me, I guess. And she, uh... Well, we're not very close, see. But she loves to draw, and she, uh, really likes watching old movies. Like, 80's fantasy movies. She had a betta fish named Alphonse, after that anime guy -" 

"Oh, from Fullmetal Alchemist? Yeah, you had a few buttons like that on your bag! Did she give them to you?" Lance interjected. Keith's eyes widened in surprise once more, and he glanced away. 

"Yeah! Yeah, she...sure. She sure did." Keith laughed nervously, looking down at his plate. Lance felt a sort of tugging feeling inside him, and he blinked with realization. 

"Sorry, is it a touchy subject? Your sister, I mean...did you not want to talk about it?" Lance offered quietly. Keith shrugged. 

"I'd prefer...not to. But," Keith looked up at Lance and smiled sweetly, his eyebrows raising up and sort of scrunching together, "you should tell me about your sisters!" 

"Oh, yeah! Alright!" Lance laughed and nodded, his warm smile returning, "Like I said, I have six sisters. I'm the oldest, being eighteen. Then there's Leah, she's sixteen. She's got really long hair, same color as mine, and I don't think you'll ever meet someone who loves soccer more than she does. We're both really competitive, but I won't lie. She's definitely more skilled than me. If you ever meet her, you can never tell her I said that. Not ever." Lance laughed, smiling and throwing his hands around wildly. Keith smiled and chuckled at Lance's silly mannerisms. They were pretty endearing. 

"After that, there's Amelia. She's fifteen. She's incredible! She builds model airplanes, like, constantly, and she's already dual enrolled in some college classes. She's crazy smart, and I'm pretty sure she wants to be an aerospace engineer. And she totally can be, she's so talented. Her hair is like, this really bright lavender. She dyes it a lot, and she's pretty good at that too. Does it all herself! The next one is Lacy, and she's thirteen. She's got really short hair. Like, tiny mohawk short. Sort of buzzed on both sides, you know? She's awesome. Her current hobby is bug collecting, but she's been known to branch out and adopt strange wild animals out of the blue. She came home with seven toads before, adamant that she had to nurse them back to health because she was sure they were sick. She's also really sarcastic. She's probably my favorite sister, but don't tell the others. And then, there are the twins. Anamaria and Rosalita - Rose and Mari for short. They are so different, but are identical twins. They both have these pointy noses, a lot like mine - we get it from our mom. They're lighter than me, since they're my half-sisters and Mark is white. They have really kinky hair, it's this middle shade of brown...like, uh...hm. It looks like, I don't know, pinto bean colored? Like, cooked ones. Anyway, Rose's hair is super long. Like, even though it grows in tight little ringlets, it's down to her lower back. Did I mention they're seven? They're seven. Rose has never had a haircut. Mari, though, likes to keep her hair short. She has this cute little bob - looks a little like that Shirley Temple girl, but imagine the curls are much kinkier. Really bouncy, tight little curls. That's her. And their eyes are really unique. Me, Leah, and Lacy have blue eyes, Amelia has really dark brown eyes, and then Rose and Mari have these weird amber-green eyes. They're like...copper chunks? Like, if the copper got a little tarnished. Like the statue of liberty, but not as extreme. It's complicated. But anyway, Mari is really into these books - I think they're about cats or something? But she really digs them. And then Rose practically never reads. She's an explorer. She goes out a lot with Lacy to find bugs. She's already broken her arm twice climbing trees to help Lacy get a bug she couldn't reach, or to look into the nest of this bird she was observing - Mom was super pissed about that. But it's fun, I think. I have some siblings in Cuba, too. They live with my dad. I have two younger brothers and a younger sister there." Lance went on and on, his facial expressions intense and emotional, usually excited and happy, as he talked about his family. Keith was a little surprised to find himself intensely intrigued by this conversation, as he usually couldn't focus on anything for very long, but Lance was such an engaging force that it was hard to look away or stop paying attention. 

"What about your brothers and sisters in Cuba? Are you from there, by the way? What's it like?" Keith asked, raising his eyebrows. He had finished his salad in the span of Lance talking about his sisters, and was now eating his soup. Lance had managed to finish all of his food while talking. Keith was still unsure how anyone could be confident enough in themselves to just speak with a mouthful of food. 

"Oh yeah, I'm from Cuba. I grew up near...well, I guess the nearest big city was Malanzas. My parents split up when I was nine years old, and had a discussion with all of us about it. Well, all of us old enough to understand. We sort of decided which parent we would stay with, and they let us. We still get to visit a lot, though, like, my parents split on pretty good terms I think. I didn't really get it as a kid but it makes sense in hindsight. So my brother Thomas is fifteen, he came really shortly after Leah - obviously. He wants to be a doctor. He and I look practically the same, except he lets his hair grow out past his shoulders - sort of like yours! Then there's Emily. She's twelve, and she loves the ocean. You can't keep her out of water. I'm pretty sure she's on a swim team now, but I'll have to ask next time we all Skype. And finally, there's Lucas. He's eleven and he just really likes to draw. I don't really know what else he's into, if anything. He's pretty reserved. He might enjoy writing when he's older, because he seems to enjoy reading. But he only really enjoys reading books about movies he loves - he likes Jurassic Park a lot." Lance went on, and Keith listened attentively. He finished his soup and they were standing up, getting ready to leave when Lance asked him a question. 

"So what is your family like?" Lance asked as they picked up their trays and fell in side-by-side toward the exit. They dropped their trays on the dishwasher conveyor and left the building, the warm outside air hitting Keith's face and reminding him that his sweater was not very comfy. 

"Well, my mom and dad are both pretty busy people. I live with my dad, I don't think they ever got married. My mom is definitely a workaholic, she's always busy. She's the C.F.O. of some big overseas company. My dad is just a traditional, half-Korean man. He didn't really go to school, but he does a lot of construction work. He goes on business trips a lot and builds stuff all over the country. My mom met him because he did some of the construction work on a company project she was managing, if I remember correctly. They're pretty supportive, but they're not really...around, I guess." Keith shrugged. 

"So does your sister live with your mom, wherever she is overseas?" Lance inquired, eyebrows raised with curiosity. 

"Oh! Uh," Keith laughed nervously, "I uh, I don't really know. My sister is uh, she's older than me. So she's probably moved on and has a life or something. I'm not...I mean, we're not very close." Keith spoke quickly, stumbling over his words. Lance winced at the awkward tension. 

"Sorry, I'll stop bringing her up. You seem really uncomfortable talking about it." Lance apologized sincerely, "Do you still like Invader Zim, by the way?" A sort of sneer creeped across Lance's face as he side-eyed Keith. 

"What?" Keith's eyes narrowed at Lance, but then he remembered the pins on his cinch pack. There must have been some silly quotes and Invader Zim buttons mixed into the fray. "Oh," Keith picked up, "Yeah, I mean, I guess I could watch it again. I really liked it during my weird emo phase. Now I just think it's funny, even though I was really into it when it was trendy. Scene kid culture was a weird time for me, okay. I don't even want to talk about Blood on the Dance Floor." Keith exaggerated a shudder, shooting a half-smile at Lance. Lance smiled back and even laughed, a sound Keith was growing more and more used to. Lance must have a lot of friends, Keith thought, he's so friendly and personable. It comes so easily for him. 

They walked aimlessly for a while, exploring the campus together. Keith decided the area was really nice. There were dozens of large trees sprawled about the campus, offering lots of shade and a peaceful reinforcement that made him feel calm. There were a few on-campus restaurants as well, and two campus convenience stores. There was a student center, home to the main library, the supply store, the student ID facility, the bursar, and an electronics store. The building was split in the middle by a set of double doors on both the upper and lower level, the other side leading to a series of rooms designated for clubs and student organizations. Keith found several he was interested in, and Lance applied for a few with him, and a few others Keith wasn't interested in. He was glad he might be able to spend more time with Lance - even after only a few hours, he felt really close to Lance. This was a big deal, too, as it would be his first 'real' friendship. He smiled as he thought, still walking side-by-side with Lance. As they were walking the sidewalk beside the smallest of the three campus parks, Keith realized the sun was setting. He checked his phone, and gasped. 

"Sorry, I gotta go. I don't have a dorm assignment yet, so I have to catch the bus. See you tomorrow for freshman dorm assignments?" Keith's voice wavered as he asked, nervous that his newfound friend may be lost after today. Lance smiled. 

"Sure! Want to meet by the big tree, with the huge kn-" 

"With the huge knot that looks like it engulfed an actual cat? Yeah, absolutely!" Keith beamed and nodded. Lance smiled back. 

"Want me to wait with you at the stop?" Lance offered. Keith graciously accepted, and they walked together again. When they reached the bus stop, the sun was out of the sky and the orange light was fading fast. A street lamp buzzed overhead, illuminating the bench they were sitting on. The two boys were joking about the show Supernatural and how it should've ended six seasons ago when Keith's bus arrived. Lance waited and waved him off, vanishing in the distance as the bus pulled away and carried Keith home. He smiled to himself as he listened to his music. 

The ride home was peaceful, and he entered the ninth story apartment quietly. No one was home, as per usual. He kicked off his shoes at the door and shuffled to his room, where he quickly shed the sweater he'd been trapped in all day. Then he removed the form-fitting compression top he had been wearing underneath, and began unwrapping his bindings. When the last of the gauze was unraveled from his body, he sighed with relief. He plopped down on his bed and appreciated the time to let his body breathe and air out. He couldn't wait for winter to come, and for the gratuitous amount of underboob sweat to end.


	2. Hunk

The alarm on Keith's phone was blaring, vibrating through his pillows. He sighed and grumbled as he pushed himself up onto his elbows and felt around for the noisy object disrupting his sleep. He grabbed a hold of it and squinted at it, annoyed that he had to be awake at this ungodly hour. He sat up and groaned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He stood and stretched, grabbing his hips and twisting around until a satisfactory amount of cracking came from his back. He shuffled to the shower and turned it on full force, yawning as he stripped his baggy t shirt and his boxers. He stepped into the scalding water and stood in its downpour for a few minutes before grabbing the shampoo and getting to work. When he was sufficiently clean, he shut the water off and pulled his towel into the safety of the steam-warm shower. He toweld off and shook his hair as he dried it, then stepped out and stretched again. 

After a series of extreme faces and making muscles at himself in the mirror, he grabbed a comb and some detangling spray and worked through his hair. He pulled it back into a loose ponytail. Then, he began the arduous process of binding. He sighed as taped the starting point to his side, pushing his left breast up and in as he pulled the binding tape over it. He continued wrapping it around himself until he was satisfied with his work, then pulled the compression tank on over his head. He grabbed a dark graphic tee with a faded logo and pulled it on as well, hoping the bagginess of it would be enough to disguise his thicker-than-average chest. He grabbed his packer and his packing underwear and adjusted himself, then pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans and grabbed his gray jacket. He shoved a folder into his cinch pack, still harboring the items from yesterday, and pulled it on as he head out the door. 

The bus ride to the campus was an uneventful forty minute journey, accompanied by Vampire Step-Dad's album Sweater Weather on repeat. He disembarked with no problems and wound his earbuds around his phone, shoving them into his jacket pocket and walking briskly toward his destination. 

He smiled as he arrived at the tall oak tree, looking around and waiting expectantly. He leaned against the trunk and tapped his foot, kicking acorns around. He kept glancing from side to side and checking his phone for the time. They hadn't exactly set up a time to meet or anything, just simply said before the dorm assignments began. He could just be really early. 

But panic wouldn't let him be. What began as worries that Lance had gotten lost or hurt, whether on his way home from the bus stop or on his way to the tree this morning, turned into delusions that Lance had been playing him, or that he had really hated Keith. Or that he knew, and he was outing Keith to everyone he knew on campus. Dread was the only thing Keith could feel, his stomach heavy with fear. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and knew his face must be flushing with how flustered he felt. He panickedly glanced around again, then back down at his phone. Where was Lance? Was he even coming? Should Keith just go to the assignment fair himself? His breathing was labored, but not so that he didn't hear the stomping footsteps quickly approaching and the heavy panting accompanying it. He sharply turned, tears welling up in his eyes as his grip on his phone caused his knuckles to turn white. 

Lance stood doubled over and clutching his knees, panting heavily. Sweat beaded and dropped from his forehead and nose, lost in the blades of grass beneath the shade of the leaves. The perspiration and the light made him appear almost bronze. Keith gave a heaving sigh, a few tears rolling down his cheeks as he shoved his phone back in his pocket. He quickly dried the tears with the sleeves of his hoodie. 

"I'm...so...I'm....sorry!" Lance said between heavy breaths, "I went....to the wrong...tree! And I was....waiting....for you, but you....you didn't show...for half an hour...and I...I realized...and ran as fast...as fast as I could. I'm sorry...did you have...did you wait long?" 

"No, no! It's fine," Keith chuckled nervously, waving dismissively, "I was a little nervous you forgot in general, but everything is alright! Let's get going?" Keith offered a meek smile to Lance, who smiled in return as he wiped his sweaty face with his forearm. Lance nodded and they were off, in stride and side-by-side. 

They were fairly early for the dorm assignments, and got in line behind the few others who had decided to gather before the rush of new students on the housing waiting list. A few minutes ticked by, and dozens more people began wandering up to the line. Lance and Keith were happily chatting about some poppy music when the line began to move forward. They were close to the front, so it wasn't long before Keith was handing over his student ID and receiving a map with a circle and directions scribbled on it, and an envelope with a key card and a mailing address among other paperwork. He stepped to the side and waited for Lance, who got his items just as quickly. And they were on their way once more. 

"Lucky! We're in the same building!" Lance cheered, thrusting his map into the air with so much force that, though short, his curly hair bounced. Keith snickered and nodded. 

"Too bad we're not roommates. We already get along so well." Keith said offhandedly, inspecting his map closely. 

"I don't know, you don't seem like someone I could get along with for too long in a tiny space, like a dorm with a shared bathroom. I need a lot of bathroom space." Lance laughed, but Keith felt his stomach flip. A shared bathroom...with... He panicked a little, his eyes wide as he looked through the paperwork in the envelope. What had he been assigned? Were these co-ed dorms? Would he be roomed with a girl by mistake? Was rooming with a guy any better? The thought of not even being able to walk around in the privacy and comfort of his own home was terrifying to Keith. There were no indications on his paperwork. He sighed with frustration, which didn't go unnoticed. 

"What's up? I was just jokin' about the roommate thing, man." Lance said, his hands falling to his sides from where they had been behind his head. Keith shook his head. 

"It's nothing. I'm just worried about who I'll get as a roommate." Keith replied, still deep in thought. "I'm sure it'll be okay. If not, you can always request a room trade with someone else later on, if you make any friends." Lance offered optimistically. Keith frowned. 

"Can't I just request you as my roommate now?" Keith asked dryly. Lance gave a weak smile and recoiled a bit from Keith's tone. 

"I'd love to say yes, but I was actually already able to room with some friends. Otherwise, I'd be totally down, but...well, the situation is a little bit complicated right now." Lance laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Keith felt his stomach churn again. Of course he has friends, I'm so stupid. 

"Oh, yeah, of course! It's nothing too serious. Anxiety, that's all." Keith shrugged, trying to play off his fears. It almost made himself feel better about the entire ordeal to simply pretend nothing was really wrong. 

"Oh, I see. You don't seem anxious, though. I mean, we're pretty cool already, right?" Lance asked as he opened the door to their assigned dorm building. Keith walked through and Lance followed. 

"Well, you're like, a really friendly person. Sort of easy to get along with. You don't exactly notice when someone feels uncomfortable - at least, not me." Keith shrugged as they passed a group waiting for the elevator. He opened the door to the stairwell, and followed Lance inside. They started hiking up the stairs. 

"Have I made you uncomfortable?" Lance gasped, his expression flabbergasted as he gaped expectantly at Keith. Keith snorted. 

"I mean, yeah, a few times. But I think it was all me, like, you didn't intend to and you didn't like, I don't know...you didn't harp on the issue. You sort of just, kept going. Like it didn't matter. So it wasn't anything dramatic, I guess. I don't know, it's hard to explain, okay?" Keith huffed as they neared the second landing. Lance's room was on the fourth floor, and Keith's the seventh. He was beginning to doubt their decision to take the stairs, but Lance didn't seemed winded at all. I wonder if I'm out of shape or if it's just the binding? Probably both. Keith thought, sighing. 

"Oh. I'm sorry for...if anything I said...Look, I didn't mean to, uh, I -" Lance struggled to find words. 

"It's really okay. I was anxious. It's officially in the past. Forgotten!" Keith shrugged. Lance sighed. 

"Just, tell me, please. Next time. If it happens again. So I just...don't do it again. I can't know if...if you don't tell me. Not that I'm blaming you! Or, uh, look - I just mean, please tell me. I don't want to keep doing that." Lance mumbled, stumbling over his words again. 

"I promise, I will." Keith said, nodding reassuringly at Lance. He smiled back at Keith, and they reached the fourth landing. Lance waved him off, and vanished behind the bland metal door adorned with a black number '4'. 

Keith continued his trek up the stairs, a little relieved he could go at a slower pace. He missed the company, though. The empty stairwell echoed his lonely footsteps as he climbed higher and higher. He passed the fifth landing. 

He let his mind begin to wander. What would his new roommate be like? Would he mistakenly be roomed with a cis girl? Would that be better or worse than rooming with a cis boy? He hoped his roommate was a little like Lance, at least. Easy to get along with, even if their personality could be a little abrasive to someone as quiet as Keith. Wow, it's pretty fortunate that he wound up coming in late and sitting next to me for orientation. Otherwise, I'd still have no friends. I may...not have even come today. Keith thought. He shrugged as he opened the door to the seventh floor and stepped in. 

A gush of cool, air-conditioned air pushed past him into the stairwell as the door shut behind him, and he looked around. He was at an intersection of two hallways. Straight ahead appeared to be a common area. It had some couches and coffee tables, all empty. He looked through his envelope with numerous papers, looking for his dorm number once more. Floor seven, room 13. He looked around for any indication, seeing several doors dotting the hallways on his left and right. He decided to go right, and inspected the numbers on the doors. 

He was surprised to find that the doors not only had numbers, but paper placards with each tenant's name on them taped on either side of the number. This was dorm forty-three. He sighed, realizing his room was probably on the entirely opposite side of the building. He tugged on the straps of his bag and strode quickly. He could hear voices beginning to fill the hallways, likely people filing in from the elevators. He hoped he could avoid them. 

He almost did. There were three people in the hallway ahead of him when he rounded the corner to where his dorm should be. He was beside dorm seventeen when he froze up at seeing the others before him. A girl with sleek blonde hair stood closest to him, one door down at room fifteen. She was struggling with her keycard and had several large tubs of items with her, likely for moving into her room. She didn't notice him. 

Next, a stocky, sort of chubby young woman with short brown curls and earthen skin splattered with other variations of pigment was talking to a dark skinned and husky young man. A bright orange headband starkly juxtaposed the black lockes of hair on his head. The pair were laughing and joking together, standing in the middle of the hallway. 

Directly in front of room thirteen. 

Keith didn't want to interrupt them, or make a bad impression. He felt his stomach twist up and he swallowed hard. There were bags of items in front of his door, and a suitcase and another tub of items in front of dorm fourteen. This meant either the big guy or the cute girl would be his roommate, and he didn't know which made him more uncomfortable. 

"Aw, shit! My key really won't let me in. I'm sure it's still crowded as shit down there. Shay! Can I please sit in your room until this blows over? I have snacks." The blonde had thrown her key down forcefully and looked over her shoulder at the pair standing one door down from her. The shorter girl jumped a little, then nodded slowly. She waved goodbye to the chubby guy and walked over to room fourteen. She dug around in her suitcase for a moment before pulling out her keycard. The door clicked open and the blonde girl snatched up her backpack and walked inside, followed by Shay. 

Keith noticed now that the chunky boy had grabbed a keycard from his pocket and opened the door to room thirteen. That was Keith's dorm. 

Their dorm, now. 

Keith swallowed hard, trying to sooth his nerves, and walked down the hall. He passed Shay as she stepped out to pull her suitcase inside. She smiled at him warmly, and he nodded as a response. He was wildly uncomfortable. Pausing in front of his open dorm, he could read the name cards on either side of the number 13: Keith and Tsuyoshi. He pulled his gaze from the name tags, 'Tsuyoshi' repeating in his head, and looked into the dorm. A kirchenette was directly inside, a small fridge and a microwave provided amongst the cabinets and dismally small countertops. Two doors were just beyond the counter of the kitchenette, one open and the dark-haired boy putting things away inside. He turned and moved to come back out, which made Keith jump back. He tried to act like he wasn't looking, and simply stood there as his roommate - Tsuyoshi - came out and grabbed another bag. He didn't go unnoticed, however. 

"Hey! Are you Keith?" The big guy smiled, looking down at Keith with friendly eyes and a warm smile. Keith felt relieved almost instantly. 

"I-I am." Keith forced out, still intimated by this large stranger. The big man smiled wider. 

"Nice to meet'cha! I'm, well, the name thing says Tsuyoshi," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the name placard on the door, "but only Mom ever calls me that. I go by Hunk." 

"It's nice to meet you, too, Hunk." Keith replied, a small smile growing on his face, "You want any help with this?" Keith gestured to the pile of bags and the few bins of items. 

"Sure!" Hunk shrugged, "I'll never turn down an opportunity to do less manual labor." He laughed as he hauled the bag on his shoulder inside. Keith grabbed one of the tubs and carried it to the doorway of Hunk's bedroom. The room was mostly barren. The school provided a chair, a desk, a three-drawer dresser, and a twin-sized bed sans bedding. He looked expectantly at Hunk, waiting for instructions on where the bin in his hands should go. 

It took Hunk several minutes to notice the awkward boy breaking into a sweat holding his tub of possessions. He apologized profusely. 

"Oh jeez, my bad! Come on in, you can just set that on the bed. Thanks." He motioned Keith inside, and Keith obliged immediately. He shoved the plastic box onto the bed and sighed his relief to be free of the extra weight. 

"Are you, what are you, a vampire or something? Because if so, that's just really not cool man. I like garlic. My blood is tainted okay so like, move along, alright?" Hunk went on, fixing a cautious and accusatory gaze on Keith. 

"Wh - what?" Keith gave Hunk a perplexed look, his eyebrows knitting together and his mouth a pointed frown. Hunk took a step back and held up his hands defensively. 

"Listen, man, I don't want any trouble! Especially none of the supernatural kind." 

"Is this because I waited before I came in the room? Is that what this is about?" Keith asked desperately, distress straining his vocal chords. 

"Of course, man! Look, I'm all for sharing a dorm with a stranger and the whole 'college experience' thing, but I'm just not up for your bloodthirsty ways. So just stay off me and I won't start buying holy water from black market sellers...or eBay." Hunk crossed his arms and nodded definitively. Keith rolled his eyes and sighed. 

"I was just trying to...be polite! I don't know! I'm not a vampire!" Keith exclaimed, sighing as his temple throbbed for a second. 

"That sure sounds like something a vampire would say..." Hunk looked him over quizically, his hand on his chin as he pondered. 

"I'm finished. That's it. I'm going." Keith shook his head and left Hunk's room, pulling the envelope out of his jacket pocket and sifting through it. In the bottom sat two small metal keys on a keyring. He fished them out and unlocked the door to his room, stepping inside. 

His room was identical to Hunk's, but mirrored. His bed was on the left wall, whereas Hunk's had been on the right. He looked around and started assessing where he would put things. Keith didn't own much, and he didn't live too far away. 

"You don't have any stuff?" Hunk was behind him, ruffling a bag of potato chips as he shoved a handful into his mouth and began munching away. Keith jumped and turned around to face him, his hairs standing on their ends. 

"My dad is helping me move tomorrow. I live too far away and can't bring my stuff by bus." Keith explained, slouching and crossing his arms. Hunk nodded knowingly, one eyebrow raised as he looked over Keith again. 

"Hey, are you alright? You seem bummed. Of course, I don't know you well. But you seem bummed." Hunk leaned against the framing of the doorway, taking another handful of chips. Keith shook his head, then started to walk out of the room. Hunk backed up into the tiny space dividing their rooms, allowing Keith the space to shut his bedroom door. 

"Well, if you're going home for the day, have a good one. I'll see you tomorrow." Hunk waved over his shoulder as he turned on his heels and re-entered his bedroom. Keith could hear him shuffling around and unpacking his things. 

Keith left the room, closing the door to the hallway behind him as he noticed all of Hunk's things were out of the corridor. He slumped against the wall, dragging his hands across his face. 

"I - I'm sorry," a shy and quiet voice reached Keith's ears, "but are you alright?" Keith looked up to see the short, sort of chubby girl with multicolored patches of skin. She was smiling meekly at him, her body language open and expressive and her facial expression friendly but obviously nervous.


	3. Shay

Keith nodded, trying to force a smile. She winced. 

"You do not have to worry about saving face with me. I understand. I am also very stressed about living here." She stood beside Keith, leaning against the wall as well. 

"Yeah? What's on your mind?" Keith asked, raising an eyebrow curiously as he turned his head to look at her. She sighed with a tremendous force that Keith found relatable. 

"You see, I just moved here. I do not mean to the city, recently, either. I mean 'today', as in I am brand new to this place and have no idea what I am getting myself into. I am from a very small town in Nova Scotia, Canada. My family is highly displeased that I moved here for school when there is a perfectly good university close to my home." She replied sullenly. 

"Oh. I'm new here, too. I moved to an apartment about half an hour from here, and I only got there about a week ago. I understand the anxiety." He nodded knowingly. Her face brightened up a bit with this news, and he asked her, "What brought you to this school?" 

"I want to study astronomy. My local university did not have a good program for that, but this place does. It also has a wonderful theoretical physics professor, whom I've read the many works of. I would very much enjoy to hear her lectures. Aside from that, however, I moved here to be with my significant other. This is the school she deemed fit for herself, as it was local to her and provides a program she finds interesting. Upon my own research, I decided it may also be a nice fit for me. That is how I ended up here." She smiled a hesitant but warm smile, and Keith reciprocated it. 

"So you were in a long distance relationship before coming here?" He asked. She nodded, gazing somewhere distant and smiling bashfully. Her wistful expression made Keith more curious. 

"Yes, we were and we are. I'm glad we are close now. You see, before this, I had never been outside of my hometown. It is a very small place with a population less than five hundred. My brother was very upset about the girl telling me I should leave if I wanted to. He said that I was too naïve. I wanted to prove him wrong; I am feeling a bit naïve now, however. I feel as though I am drowning in my feelings." She sighed as she leaned her head back against the wall. 

"Yeah, I feel in over my head, too. I think it's gonna get easier as time passes, though. Especially in your case, since this is such a big and sudden change." Keith gave her a reassuring nod. 

"I appreciate your kind words. I don't have any other friends here yet, but I would like to consider you one of them soon. It has been nice to make your acquaintance, I don't believe we exchanged names. I am Shay." The young woman replied to him with a more bubbly tone, a distinct but welcomed change from her sullen attitude moments ago. 

"My name's Keith. It's nice to meet you, Shay." He said back. She smiled and stepped away from the wall just as the blonde girl from earlier stepped out of Shay's dorm. 

"Shay, where did you go? I said I brought snacks." The young woman asked with the soft expression of a sad puppy. She strode over to Shay in a way that almost made her appear to drift through the air. She was tall, standing several inches over Shay and at least a foot over Keith. She looked him over with an icy scowl and disdainful frown, then turned her attention back to Shay. 

"I am sorry for taking so long, Nyma. I was befriending someone," she gestured to Keith, "We have actually just finished talking. I was about to go back into my room when you came out." Shay explained. The blonde girl looked Keith over again, making a small clicking sound with her teeth before crossing her arms. 

"So you were the one taking up Shay's time?" She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back out of her face before scoffing, "I don't appreciate it. She's taken." The young woman grabbed Shay's hand and they intertwined their fingers. 

"I wasn't trying to flirt with her. We were just talking about being new to the town." Keith explained in rush, shrugging and glancing around to avoid eye contact with the tall blonde girl, "I'm Keith." 

"Nyma. It's a...pleasure." She sighed, leaning closer to Shay, "I'm sure you were just figuring out how absolutely wonderful my girlfriend is, then?" 

"She is very nice!" Keith nodded, a half smile on his face as he turned to Shay. 

"Oh, my, thank you." Shay smiled, turning her face away from the both of them and looking at the ground. She leaned onto one leg, tapping the ground with her other foot in the same manner a pitcher gently kicks the mound. 

"We'd better be getting back. Shay has quite a lot of unpacking to do." Nyma tugged her shy girlfriend past him, the pair disappearing into Shay's dorm. The door clicked shut behind them and Keith let out a relieved sigh. The awkward tension with Nyma was not something he had been mentally or emotionally equipped to deal with today. 

And then the door opened again, propped wide by a doorstop. Shay's smiling face peered around the wooden frame and she gestured for him to come closer. He obliged without hesitation, a reciprocal smile adorning his face. She stepped out of the room as he got closer. 

"I know that Nyma may have said that I have a lot to unpack, but I wanted to let you know that this was an exaggeration on her part. Would you like to join us for some snacks while I put away some of my things?" Shay was practically singing, a happy hum seeming to emanate from her every movement and word. 

"Oh? Absolutely!" Keith nodded and clenched his fist. He felt a small knot forming in his stomach, but pushed the feeling aside and entered the dorm of his new friend. 

Shay's setup was identical to his and Hunk's. Her bedroom was on the right side, like Hunk's had been, so her desk was on the left wall and facing the bed. Nyma was sprawled out on the bed, which had already been made up with a comforter littered with constellations. She sighed when she made eye contact with Keith. 

"Snacks are on the counter in the kitchenette, pretty boy." Nyma huffed, waving her hand at him as if to shoo him away. Shay was still happily moving about, like a bee as spring sprouts up from the final frost of winter. Keith, after dismissing Nyma's comment, stepped out into the miniature kitchen. He looked at the strange medley of snack selections before him with both amusement and bewilderment. 

There were fruits; bananas, oranges, and apples. There were bags of Lay's; salt and vinegar, original, and sour cream and onion. There were cracker packs; cheese and peanut butter, cheese and chive, Ritz peanut butter, and cheddar crackers. Then, there were a few random items; a half-eaten bag of caramel corn, a bag of sugar snap peas, an open but mostly untouched bag of wasabi peas, a large box of penguin crackers, and several packs of animal crackers. The vibrant cornucopia of variety made him hesitate at first, but he ultimately decided to take two of the oranges and return to Shay's room. 

Shay was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of her dresser, unpacking clothes from her suitcase. Nyma was still lying on the star-laden bed, glossing through an astronomy book. Keith looked at both of them a few times before deciding to take the chair from the desk and silently slide into the seat in a corner of the room. He pulled a small pocket knife from his pants pocket and began peeling the orange, contemplating whether or not it would be best to offer help or stay noislessly out of the way. 

"So, what's your major?" Nyma asked, momentarily glancing up from the book in her hands. Keith met her eyes, then pointed at himself. 

"Me?" He asked, giving her a perplexed look as she sighed and replied with a heavy nod. 

"Yes, you. Did you think that all this time I was unaware of what Shay wanted to major in?" She turned a page of the book and her eyes scanned the page with a speed he was sure meant she wasn't reading, or she wasn't comprehending what she was reading. 

"Well, I'm undecided, but I know I've got two years of general classes and electives to figure out something I'd like." He answered, popping a segment of the orange into his mouth. Nyma chuckled and Shay looked up at him. 

"You mean you do not know what you want to do?" Shay's mouth hung open in disbelief after she posed her question. Keith shrugged and consumed another piece of the orange. 

"I mean I do have hobbies, like, general interests. I'm mostly here to utilize my time, because once I'm out of here I have to find a job and a place to live. My dad doesn't believe in living with your parents for free after college." Keith shrugged as he ate the last piece of the orange and began peeling the second one. 

"Huh...so you're going to go back to living with your dad?" Nyma cocked an eyebrow and she made eye contact with him, setting the book aside. 

"Well, I still don't know. I have a few years to figure it out. He loves me, and I love him, but he really doesn't understand me. I'd like to take as much of the burden off of him as I can. It's like...it's a son's duty, especially if I want to build up something before marriage." Keith pulled his gaze away from Nyma and focused on removing the peel and strings from the orange. 

"What do you mean, build up something before marriage?" Shay asked as she pulled a book from the box she had begun unloading. Her eyes were wide and had a quizzical sparkle to them, her eyebrows so far up her forehead that defined lines were prominent there. 

"It's a tradition thing - men are supposed to, I don't know, prove they are providers while wives bring wealth and prosperity to the household. It's old fashioned...but like...so is he?" Keith shrugged and leaned forward against the back of the chair, pulling the segments of the orange apart. 

"Yeah, that's really old fashioned. Why are men expected to do those things? Women can, too. Or, no one can. Two people can work together and split the load on both ends!" Nyma exclaimed, huffing and throwing herself back on the bed with such force she bounced a few times before settling. Shay sighed and turned to her, reaching out her hand. Nyma shifted on the bed, aiming her gaze at her girlfriend. She reached out and grabbed Shay's hand, and they both smiled. The air seemed to warm up as their smiles grew on their faces, but the moment was fleeting and they soon pulled their hands away from one another and Shay went back to unpacking her box of books and loading them monotonously onto her desk. Keith finished the second orange before anyone spoke again. 

"You have any friends yet?" Nyma asked, her tone almost sneering. Shay stiffened. 

"I don't think friendships are built in a day." Keith responded with a shrug, crossing his arms on the back of the chair. 

"So that's a no, then?" Nyma retorted, cocking an eyebrow and nearly scowling with displeasure at his answer. 

"I have acquaintances." He rolled his eyes at her remark, unsure of where the sudden hostility was coming from. 

"Well, good luck making friends with your attitude." She scoffed at his eyeroll. 

"Can we not - " Shay began, but was cut off. 

"My attitude? What about your attitude? You're the one being needlessly rude out of nowhere!" Keith spat, raising his voice. 

"Me? You're the one intruding on other people and being rude!" Nyma slammed the books shut and sat up, her tone defiant. Her eyes burned with rage and her voice bubbled with it. 

"I was invited here!" He strained, standing up from the chair and clenching his fists. The knot in his stomach grew three sizes and felt cold in his guts, making him nauseous. He felt out of breath. 

"Guys, please -" Shay tried to interject. 

Before the feud could escalate any more, a familiar voice interrupted them with a, "What's going on in here? It sounds like someone is dying." 

All three of the students turned to face the newcomer, who Keith recognized immediately. His face flushed. 

"L-Lance!" Keith half asked, half exclaimed. He was so embarrassed to be caught fighting with someone his first day on campus. This was a bad omen of things to come. 

"Lance." Nyma crossed her arms and sighed. Keith's jaw dropped. 

"You know each other?" Keith asked, utter disbelief painted over his twisted expression. 

"Nyma and I are good friends." Lance laughed, shaking his head, "I can't believe you're already fighting with some stranger, Nyma. It's not like you. You're usually all charm." 

"He was cozying up to Shay. What else could I do?" She replied, her voice defensive. 

"I was not cozying up to anyone, I was making a friend. Something you seem to think I need to do more of." Keith retorted. 

"You were trying to seduce her!" Nyma snarled seriously, as if her perspective was the only correct one. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lance put his hands up and gestured to Shay, "Who is this lovely lady? Shay, I presume?" He knelt down and took her hand. 

"U-um, wha-" Shay was flustered. He kissed her hand. Nyma glared at him as he stood back up, and as she opened her mouth to speak, he interrupted her breath and spoke first. 

"Was I just trying to seduce her?" Lance asked in a serious tone. He held Nyma's gaze. She stared for several moments before breaking eye contact. 

"I guess not." She responded, turning away from him and puffing out her cheeks, "It just isn't fair." 

Shay stood up and walked over to Nyma, wrapping her strong arms around the disgruntled girl. She squeezed her gently and tried to look her in the eyes, but Nyma refused to make eye contact. 

"Hey," Shay said ever so softly, "I love you." 

Nyma looked at her then, and whispered it back to her, cuddling into the crook of the shorter girl's neck. Keith subconsciously smiled; they were cute. Lance smiled and crossed his arms, nodding slowly. 

The moment lasted for a while. Then Nyma turned to Lance, much calmer than before, and asked what he was doing here. 

"I'm checking up on a friend. He's supposed to be down around here, but I haven't seen him yet." Lance shrugged, peeking back behind him to check if someone was there. Keith cocked his head to the side. 

"I'm...right here...?" He half asked. Lance lookedat him, confused, then laughed with realization. 

"No, no, an old friend of mine. Name's Hunk." Lance responded. Keith's eyes got wide. 

"That's my roommate!" He exclaimed, "He seems weird. He's your friend? He called me a vampire." 

"Whoa, that's a lot of info at once, my dude." Lance shot finger guns at him. Keith didn't understand why he was being so weird. "Lead me to the room, then, compadre." Lance demanded in a slight tone that suggested he was joking, but still wasn't clear whether he was or was not. Keith nodded slowly, then waved a farewell to the two girls as he stepped out of the bedroom. 

As he walked out into the hall, he didn't know how the four of them had fit into such a tiny room. He turned to Lance. 

"How do you know Hunk?" Keith inquired as he began trekking down the hallway. 

"Went to high school with him! He's my best friend." Lance answered happily, a wide smile on his face. 

When they arrived at room thirteen, Keith pulled out his keycard. He slid the card into the slot, and with a click he pushed the door opened. Hunk's bedroom door was still open, and he looked up from where he was unpacking to see Keith enter the room. Lance followed behind, and Hunk smiled brightly. He hurriedly stood and rushed from his bedroom into the kitchenette. 

"Lance, is that you? I haven't seen you all summer, man!" Hunk laughed. Lance pushed past Keith and the two boys hugged tightly. 

"Hunk, you big lug! I missed you!" Lance exclaimed with obvious excitement. Keith felt molten iron in his gut suddenly, and felt like he might puke. He quietly excused himself to the bathroom on the other side of the kitchenette, beside his room. He assumed the others didn't notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt kind of rushed writing so if it feels awkward, know that I wrote the first two chapters a year ago and wrote half of this one a year ago, half now. That's why the transitions are strange. I'm relearning how to write by reading other fics at the moment. See you around!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! Also sorry I'm actually terrible at formatting this on here so it's just...so ugly. If you wanna teach me how to format, reach out to me on one of my tumblrs, later-keith or eugenecrowley! Thanks.


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